Gordon Brown will today tell Britain to stop seeing the elderly as a burden - and instead view our ageing population as a bonus.

He will declare in a major speech that getting used to the idea that "old is good" will lead to more children knowing their grandparents, bigger extended families and a wiser, more experienced, nation.

He will point out: "Too often the change to an older society is seen by our youthobsessed culture as a threat or a burden. "We need to recognise it has the potential to be a far more positive change affecting not just public services but also the shape and character of our society.

"For our families I firmly believe it can be a change for the better. More children will know grandparents and even great-grandparents."

He will add: "We will see a much bigger role for extended families.

"With new opportunities in later life, to work and volunteer, our older people can find themselves much more at the heart of our communities and less and less isolated on the fringes." But he will emphasise that the change will happen only if we learn to value the contribution of older people and their wisdom and experience.

He will say Britain must become a country which "never sees age as a bar to success... but makes the most of people's talents" for their whole lives.

In the speech, in London, the PM will also unveil major plans for the NHS.

Because of technology now available, people with cancer or severe kidney disease will be offered the chance to be treated at home instead of in hospital.

And all 1.6 million people in England who have or had cancer will be offered dedicated one-to-one care from a specialist nurse if Labour are re-elected.

The cancer plans will cost £100million over five years - mainly to pay for extra nurses. But Labour insists total savings of £2.7billion a year can be made through the reduction of hospital admissions.

CAMERON PLAN 'FOR RUBBISHY SCHOOLS'

By BOB ROBERTS

The Tories were yesterday accused of wanting schools "set up in rundown flats and above off-licences" with a plan to scrap rules that maintain standards.

In a shocking admission they said town halls should be stripped of powers to limit where new schools can be set up.

A leaked planning policy document said: "For the (education) policy to be successful it is essential that unnecessary bureaucracy is not permitted to stifle the creation of new community schools."

Shadow planning minister Bob Neill claimed it would help communities and parents establish new schools.

But teachers and ministers warned Mr Cameron's plan would be disastrous, leading to fewer safety checks and extreme groups setting up schools in odd locations.

Schools minister Vernon Coaker said: "It would set back the big improvements in standards of the last 12 years."

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, said: "It's not rational. The ambition for our children should be state-of-the-art facilities - not a rundown flat over the local off-licence."